The present invention relates generally to a 3D camera for recording 3D images and, more particularly, to a stereoscopic camera having a macro mode for recording 3D images of close objects.
The basic techniques for generating 3D or stereoscopic images have been well known for more than 100 years. A 3D or stereoscopic image comprises two images, the left eye image and right eye image, taken of the same scene or object from slightly different perspectives. The two images are captured by two different cameras offset by the average distance between the eyes of a human being. The images captured from two different cameras can then be superimposed on the same screen or display and viewed with special glasses including polarizing lenses or filters so that each eye views one of the images.
Recently, stereoscopic cameras and displays have been developed for small, portable devices, such as handheld game consoles and camera phones. The stereoscopic cameras are designed to record images of objects several meters in front of the camera in order to produce 3D or stereoscopic images. The 3D displays enable viewing of the 3D images without special glasses or filters. To create 3D images, the object recording must be captured by both cameras. One problem with current 3D cameras is the inability to capture images of objects close to the 3D camera. 3D camera systems are designed to capture images of objects several meters away. Accordingly, there is a need for a stereoscopic or 3D camera system for small portable devices that enables a macro mode for creating 3D images of close objects.